Fritz Lang’s 2-part silent film of 1924, Die Nibelungen

Fritz Lang’s 2-part silent film of 1924, Die Nibelungen, is a masterpiece of German cinema from the 1920s. A landmark in the development of cinematography as an art, it displays a stunning use of light and shadow, and exquisite set design. The script is based on an ancient, 12th century, German and Norse epic poem Die Nibelungenlied (The Song of the Nibelungen), and was developed and adapted by Fritz Lang’s wife, the author and former actress, Thea von Harbou. 

Click on the film titles below to watch each film.

SYNOPSIS OF EACH FILM (SPOILER ALERT!!!):

1. Siegfrieds Tod/ Siegfried’s Death 

The title character Siegfried, son of King Siegmund of Xanten, masters the art of forging a sword at the shop of Mime. Mime sends Siegfried home, but while preparing to leave, Siegfried hears the tales of the kingdom of Burgundy, the kings who rule there, as well as of Kriemhild, the princess of Burgundy. Siegfried announces he wants to win her hand in marriage, much to the amusement of the smiths. By way of physical violence, Siegfried demands to be told the way, and Mime sends him in the right direction. En route to Burgundy, Siegfried discovers a dragon, and deviates from his path to slay it. He touches its hot, yellow blood and understands the language of the birds, one of which tells him to bathe in the dragon’s blood in order to become invincible to attack — except for one spot on his shoulder blade, which is missed after being covered by a falling lime leaf.

Soon after, the powerful Siegfried trespasses on the land of the Nibelungs and is attacked by Alberich, King of the Dwarves. Siegfried defeats Alberich, who offers Siegfried a net of invisibility and transformation. Siegfried is not persuaded to spare Alberich’s life, whereupon Alberich offers to make Siegfried “the richest king on earth!”. While Siegfried is mesmerised by the treasure, Alberich tries to defeat him, but dies in the attempt. Dying, Alberich curses all inheritors of the treasure and he and his dwarves turn to stone.

Siegfried finally arrives in Burgundy in his new guise of the King of twelve kingdoms. A battle breaks out between Siegfried and King Gunther and his adviser Hagen of Burgundy, which is subdued by the appearance of the beautiful princess Kriemhild. Hagen negotiates over Siegfried helping Kriemhild’s brother, King Gunther, to win the hand of Brunhild, the Queen of Iceland. The men travel to Brunhild’s kingdom where Siegfried feigns vassalage to Gunther so that he can avoid Brunhild’s challenge and instead use the net’s power of invisibility to help Gunther beat the powerful Queen in a three-fold amazonian battle of strength. The men return to Burgundy where Gunther marries Brunhild and Siegfried weds Kriemhild. Brunhild is not, however, completely defeated. She suspects deceit and refuses to consummate the marriage. Hagen again convinces Siegfried to help. Siegfried transforms himself into Gunther and battles Brunhild and removes her arm-ring during battle after which she submits to his will. Siegfried leaves the real Gunther to consummate the marriage.

Kriemhild discovers Brunhild’s arm ring and asks Siegfried about it. Siegfried discloses the truth to Kriemhild about his role in Brunhild’s defeat. When the Nibelungen treasure that Siegfried acquired from Alberich arrives at the court of Burgundy as Kreimhild’s morning gift, Brunhild becomes more suspicious about Siegfried’s feigned vassalage to Gunther. Brunhild dons the Queen Mother’s jewelery and proceeds to the cathedral to enter as the first person, as is her right as Queen of Burgundy. Kriemhild tries to take Brunhild’s right of way and an argument errupts between the two Queens. Kreimhild betrays her husband’s and brother’s secret to Brunhild, who then confronts Gunther. Brunhild demands Siegfried be killed, which she justifies by stating that Siegfried stole her maidenhood when he battled her on her wedding night. Hagen and King Gunther conspire to murder Siegfried during a hunt in the Odenwald. Hagen deceives Kriemhild into divulging Siegfried’s weak spot by sewing a cross on the spot in Siegfried’s tunic.

After the hunt, Hagen challenges Siegfried to a race to a nearby spring. When Siegfried is on his knees drinking, Hagen pierces him from behind with a spear. In an evil twist of bitter revenge, Brunhild confesses that she lied about Siegfried stealing her maidenhood in order to avenge Gunther’s deceit of her. Kriemhild demands her family avenge her husband’s death but her family is complicit in the murder, and so they protect Hagen. Kriemhild swears revenge against Hagen while Brunhild commits suicide at the foot of Siegfried’s corpse laid in state in the cathedral. 

2. Kriemhilds Rache/ Kriemhild’s Revenge 

Kriemhild tries to win over the people of Burgundy to help her exact revenge against Hagen, to whom her brothers have sworn allegiance. Kriemhild bribes the people with money and treasure from the Nibelungen hoard. Margrave Rudiger of Bechlarn arrives unannounced to woo Kriemhild on behalf of his King, King Attila, who resides in the land of the Huns. Kriemhild initially declines, but ultimately she recognises the opportunity for revenge in her marriage with Attila and in Rudiger’s allegiance to her. She forces Rudiger to swear allegiance to her on his sword. At that very moment, news arrives that Hagen has stolen her morning gift, the Nibelungen hoard, which Hagen has, unbeknownst to all, sunk into the Rhine river.

Kriemhild travels to Attila's lands and accepts his hand. As a gift to Kriemhild for bearing him a son, Ortlieb, Attila grants her a wish. Kreimhild request Attila invite her family to celebrate the Midsummer Solstice with them in the Hun kingdom. In the meantime, Kriemhild bribes Attila’s Hun warriors with money and treasure to avenge her and attack Hagen.

When the Burgundians arrive, the Huns launch several unsuccessful attempts. Instead, the Huns instead launch an attack on the Burgundian soldiers during their feast in the subterranean caves where the Huns reside. The Burgundian Knight Dankwart manages to escape the melee and warns the Burgundian Kings who are feasting with Attila and Kriemhild in Attila’s palace. Upon hearing of the treacherous attack, Hagen murders Attila’s son, and battle breaks out. Dietrich of Bern manages to negotiate an exit from the hall for Attila’s royal entourage, which leaves the Burgundian guests imprisoned in Attila’s palace.

Then follow multiple battles in which the Huns launch multiple attacks on the Burgundians. Kriemhild offers her family freedom if they surrender Hagen to her. They decline. Ultimately Kriemhild calls upon Rudiger to fulfill his oath of allegiance by attacking Hagen. Rudiger refuses, but is forced to by Attila. Rudiger and Kriemhild’s two younger brothers, Gerenot and Giselher, perish in the battle. In a final act of desperation, Kriemhild commands the palace be set alight. 

As the flames smoulder, only Gunther and Hagen survive. Dietrich of Bern fetches the two remaining men from the palace and delivers them to Kriemhild, who demands of the Hagen to know the hiding place of the Nibelungen hoard. When Hagen states that he has sworn not to reveal the hiding place as long as one of his Kings is still alive, Kriemhild commands Gunther’s beheading. When Hagen reveals that no one now knows the location of the treasure apart from him, and that he will never tell, Kriemhild grabs Siegfried’s sword from Hagen and cuts him down. Infuriated by Kriemhild’s act of murder, Sword Master Hildebrant stabs Kriemhild from behind. Attila’s final words are that Kriemhild should be taken back home to her dead husband, Siegfried, because she never belonged to any other man.

Catholic Holy Cards

Night monkey surprised by an ocelot

From Animals in Action (1901).

 

The ocelot commits heavy ravages among the game, and when satiated with flesh sucks the blood of his victim. He never misses an opportunity to do some hunting, whether he be hungry or not. During dark and stormy nights he creeps up to settlements and villages, looking for a chance to cultivate a close acquaintance with the occupants of the hen-roosts. He regards the monkeys as a special delicacy of his table, and our illustration shows an ocelot which has fallen upon a band of night monkeys in a forest of Brazil. These monkeys are among the most remarkable of their kind. The night monkeys climb wonderfully well and spring from tree to tree with the greatest facility in their chase of insects or their flight from danger. The ocelot, however, creeps upon them so slyly that generally the shriek of a captured animal is the first indication of the presence of the dreaded marauder.

Diver attacked by a man-eating shark

From Animals in Action (1901).

 

With great agility the imperilled toiler avoids the rush of the beast, and at the opportune moment plunges his knife from underneath deep into the belly of the shark. A mighty stream of blood stains the water ; the powerful creature lashes the sea with his great fins, and, struggling in the throes of death, seeks safety in flight. But sometimes, as is shown in our picture, a second shark appears at this juncture, and the diver must battle for his life once more. Sometimes he is fortunate enough to come out a victor from the second conflict, but often enough he is terribly mangled by the hungry hunter of the sea.

Grizzly bear attacked by buffaloes

From: Animals in Action (1901).

 

The grizzly is especially afraid of the foremost bull, who, with his colossal head lowered, his mouth covered with foam, and his tail raised in air, presents an impressive picture of unbridled strength and savagery. The battle cannot be greatly prolonged. According to trustworthy accounts a grizzly can overcome a single bison, but against a whole herd of these powerful creatures he is of little avail. Accordingly the grizzly, who can run very fast, now either makes off at his best pace, or, remaining, is gored to death by the sea of horns that heaves about him.

Dolphin and his guests

From Animals in Action (1901).

 

It is difficult to understand how the ancient Greeks acquired the impression that this extremely greedy and rapacious beast was a friend of man. The dolphins seem to have entered into an understanding of some sort with the sea gulls, as the birds do not seem to show the slightest fear of the great sea mammals.

Sea eagle picking up an ice fox

From Animals in Action (1901).

 

In northern Russia and Siberia, when all the streams are ice-bound, the sea eagle is compelled to do his foraging entirely on land, and then sometimes pounces upon an ice fox out of a pack of these animals. He sweeps high up into the air with his prey, and kills it in spite of the violent resistance which this Northern cousin of Reynard may offer.

Spider monkey surprised by eagle hawk

From Animals in Action (1901).

 

The chameck (spider monkey) is a weak and harmless creature that depends only upon its swiftness for its safety. His assailant, on the other hand, is a powerful marauder, with strong claws, a powerful beak, and very swift in flight. The chameck uses his tail also as an organ of feeling. If his favorite food is placed behind the animal, it finds it by feeling with its tail ; he also draws eggs and young birds out of the hollows of trees with the same limb. It is not true, however, that these animals are in the habit of forming a living bridge by swinging from a tree on the banks of a river to another on the opposite side.